Acetylene-gas generator.



Patented Nov. Il, 1902.

v v'l'. H. DUNCOMBE.

ACETYLENE GASGENERATOR.

(Application med-May 2, 1902.) (No Mode-l.)

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TYRRELL HUBERT DUN OOMBE, OF ST. THOMAS, CANADA. l

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,291, dated November 11, 1902. Application letl May 2, 1902. Serial No. 105,664. (No model.)

T0 all whom it ,may concern:

Be it known that I, TYRRELL HUBERT DUN- COMBE, chemist, of the city of St. Thomas, in the county of Elgin, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates toimprovements inA acetylene-gas generators; and the objects of my invention are to devise an apparatus which shall be cheap to construct and all the parts of which shall be easy of y access for cleaning and repairing, further objects of my invention being to make the machine entirely au-` tomatic in both its carbid and its water feed; and it consists, essentially, of a water-tank and separate generating-chamber, a water-inlet into said generating-chamber, said inlet being provided with a iioat-valve to automatically open or cut oft the Water-supply, as occasion demands, and a carbid-receptacle located above said generating-chamber and having a suitable automatic float-valve for regulating the supply of carbid, a water-outlet pipe located in the lower portion of said generating-chamber, an'd means for breaking the carbid crust in the lower portion of the generating-chamber, the various parts of the device being constructed and arranged in detail, as hereinafter more particularly described.

Figure l is a longitudinal section through the apparatus on the line X X, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the apparatus on the line Y Y, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each gure.

A is the water-tank, which is cylindrical in form and is provided with a cast-iron top or head a, in which is formed a hole ot. A covering or lid a2 is provided for the hole a and is supported by the flange a3, formed around the hole. A yoke a4 is provided, the ends of which are inserted under the holders of a5, which are secured to the top of the tank. By means of a suitable screw a6 passing through the yoke a4 the covering ct may be irmly clamped down against the flanges. The eswith a suitable stop-cock 010.

cape-pipe a7 leads from the top of the watertank Ato the outer atmosphere.

B is a water-inlet pipe which enters the upper portion of the water-tank. A ball-float b is attached to a lever b', at the other end of which is a suitable closure b2 for the waterinlet. The lever b' is pivotally attached to the inlet-pipe or to the side of the tank, and by means of this arrangement the water is automatically admitted or cut off, according to' the height of the water in the tank.

O is a generating-chamber, consisting of the upper portion c, which is cylindrical in form, and the lower portion c', which is preferably funnel-shaped. The top of the generatingchamber consists of the cast -iron plate c2, which is riveted or otherwise firmly secured to the sides. An opening c3 is formed in the top plate c2, and the edges thereof are formed with a iange c4. A cover c5 is provided for this opening, and this covering is secured to the flanges by suitable bolts or rivets c6.

p D is aconnecting-pipe extending and forming a permanent communication between the tank A and the generating-chamber C.

E is a leveling-pipe which forms a communication between the upper portion of the tank and the generating-chamber, and a stopcock e is provided on this leveling-pipe,where by the communication may be made or cut oft, for reasons hereinafter specified.

F is the waste or sewer pipe, and an outlet c7 leads thereto from the portion of the generating-chamber immediately above the funnel-shaped portion c. A waste-pipe cfleads to the sewer, and this pipe is also provided G is the carbid-receptacle, which is located above the generating-chamber O, and a pipe or other suitable passage g connects this carbid-receptacle with the generating-chamber. A cut-oft or stop-cock g is provided on said pipe for completely stopping the flow of the carbid when the machine is to stop operatin g. A bearing g2 is secured to the cover-plate c5, and in this bearing a lever g3 is'pivotallysupported. To one end of the lever a ball or other suitable float g4t is secured, and a valve or closure g5 is secured to its opposite end in such a position as to close the opening of the IOO end of the pipe G when the ball-float drops suiiiciently low.

In the lower portion of the cylindrical portion of the generating-chamber a crank-shaft His journaled in the bearing h at one end and passes through the stuffing-box h at its other end to the outside ofthe chamber,where a crank-handle h2 is provided. Intermediate of the ends of the said crank-shaft H acrank h3 is formed, and from this crank a rod h4 depends, having an enlarged lower end h5, the object of this device being to stir up the carbid in the lower portion of the chamber or to break up the carbid crust which may form therein.

I is a stand of any suitable form which supports the apparatus.

Having now described the construction of my invention, I will proceed to point out its mode of operation and its advantages over previous devices of this class.

In starting my apparatus working the two tanks A and C are first completely filled with water, so as to drive out all air thereform, the air from the generating-chamber passing through the leveling-pipe E into the watertank and thence into the open air by means of the escape-pipe a7. The stop-cock e is then closed. If the receptacle G be now filled with carbid and the stop-cock g be opened, the carbid will fall into the chamber C and generation of gas will commence. The stopcock c8 may now be opened for a few inoments to allow of a certain amount of the water to escape from the tanks, and it is then closed. The gas will now force down the water in the tank C till the float g4 drops sufficiently to cause the supply of carbid to be cut olf. Generation will then cease till sufficient gas has been drawn olf to allow the water to rise in the chamber C and open the carbid-feed again. The float b is adjusted to allow the water to enter the tank to conipensate for the water that is used up in manufacturing the gas, and a further use of this ioat cut-off is when a large number of lights are used on a small apparatus. In this case the water in the apparatus itself would very quickly heat up, owing to the rapid generation; but by lifting the stop-cock a8 there will be a continuous flow of water through the apparatus, owing to the automatic floatvalve, and consequently a Very small apparatns may be kept perfectly cool, even though it may be generating gas to supply a large number of lights.

It will now be seen that I have devised an apparatus which will manufacture gas and which may be readily cleaned and whose parts will be very easily accessible and, further, an apparatus which is entirely automatic in both its carbid and its Water feed arrangement.

Although in Figs. l and 3 a purifying attachment for the acetylene-gas machine is shown, I do not desire to claim this part of the device in the present application, but reserve the right to apply for protection on this device at a later date.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In an acetylene-gas apparatus the combination with the generating-chamber having an automatic carbid-feed located at the top thereof, of a water-tank, a pipe communicating between the lower portion of said watertank and said generating-chamber, a leveling-pipe forming a communication between the upper portions of said water-tank and generating-chamber a suitable stop-cock on said leveling-pipe and suitable water, air and gas inlets and outlets as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination, a generating-chamber, a carbid-containing receptacle connected therewith, a water-tank communicating with said generator,with means for maintaininga body of water in said tank at a constant height, and means controlled by the rise and fall of the water in the generator for controlling the feed of carbid into the generator, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a generating-chamber adapted to contain a body of Water, a carbidreceptacle connected therewith, float mechanisin within the generator adapted to control the feed of carbid to said generator, a water-tank with oat-controlled means for admitting water thereto, and connections between said generator and waterchamber whereby the Water is normally maintained at the same level in said chamber, substantially as described.

Signed at the city of St. Thomas this 28th day of April, 1902.

'lYltR-ELL HUBERT DUNCOMBE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM LLEWELLYN WICKETT, EDNA CAMPBELL.

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